WORLD
World building and random lore stuff. Massive WIP. Names and information are highly likely to change.
territories & people
The mainland
The main continent. Outer islands surrounding the Mainland are owned by various territories on the Mainland.
Kuretai
The country of Kuretai is situated to the east of Frosdrake Kingdom. It's a relatively small territory that relies heavily on its fishing industry. The Fox, Rabbit, Weasel, and Wolf shrines are found within this territory.
Frosdrake kingdom
Frosdrake Kingdom rests to the northwest of Kuretai and has been ruled by the royal Nikolaev family for the last three centuries. Relations between Frosdrake and Kuretai are heavily strained due to a long history of Drakien occupation of Kuretai. The kingdom rests at the foot of the Hyd mountain range. The Crow, Dragon, Bear, and Tiger shrines are found within the territory the kingdom owns.
yukurou clan
The Yukurou clan resides in a small cluster of villages on the outskirts of Kuretai, near the Frosdrake border. Some clan members have shown the ability to utilize a small amount of magic, which has attracted suspicion from other territories, including Kuretai itself. Clan members are often drafted into the Kuretai military which has caused tension between the Yukurou clan and the Kuretai government.
lore
apex masks and the pariah
According to folklore shared across multiple territories, thousands of years ago, demons prowled and ruled the Mainland. The Apex demons stood above all, their immense power demanding the obedience and fear from both humans and petty demons alike. The Apex were the fox (kitsune), wolf, weasel (kamaitachi), rabbit, dragon, crow, bear, and tiger. Among the Apex was intense infighting, their violence cleaving mountains in half and wiped villages off the earth. Just when humans had lost hope, cornered by demons and their numbers dwindling, eight celestials descended from the stars a night of the new moon, each wearing a blank mask. The celestials confronted the Apex demons and sealed them into each of their masks, the task monumental. With the last of their celestial power, they sealed the remaining demons roaming the Mainland.
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People treated this folklore as such-- a simple fairytale. Even with the existence of petty masks, which aligns with the internationally shared folklore, it is mostly fear that drives people to deny the possible existence of Apex demons. However recently, with the sudden flux of Apex possessions, it's becoming harder and harder to ignore reality.
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Those who have been possessed by an Apex demon are called Pariah by a few territories, however the term is not yet widely used. The most common term is the simple 'mask holder'.
apex demon possession
There are a few ways an Apex demon will decide whether they will accept a vessel. One is to take advantage of any underlying insecurities or mental disturbances. An Apex demon is able to feed off of this type of energy, making it easier for it to control the vessel. Another way an Apex demon will accept a vessel is through overlapping traits. If a vessel harbors many similar traits to the demon, it will possess them. These possessions are more cooperative than the former.
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When a vessel wears an apex mask, a bind is formed between them and the demon, making the mask near impossible to remove by normal means. Only another Pariah can break this bind and end the possession until the mask is worn again. The only other way for the bind to sever is for the apex demon to release it and allow the vessel to remove the mask.
petty demons & petty masks
Demons that are much weaker and unable to possess a human through the donning of its mask are called petty demons. These demons are only able to manifest themselves as visual and auditory hallucinations when their masks are worn. Due to the abundance of these masks, they are sought out and destroyed by most governments.
Apex shrines
The Apex masks were sealed within shrines located in the Kuretai and Frosdrake territories. These shrines are heavily guarded and no ordinary human is able to remove the mask due to a magic seal. However, most of the masks have disappeared from their shrines in the past 200 years. It is believed the Nikolaev family pulled some strings to attain two masks, however this shady business was frequently denied until the truth came out when the to-be prince, Alexsei Nikolaev, was possessed by the family heirloom, the dragon mask.
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The crow mask was the first to be reported lost and it's speculated that the Yukurou clan is the culprit of its disappearance due to some clan members being able to utilize magic, meaning that they are no ordinary humans.
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As of recently, the weasel, fox, and wolf masks have disappeared from their shrines as well. The fox and wolf masks' locations are well tracked due to the holders' involvement with the Kuretai military.
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The crow and weasel masks are unaccounted for, and their whereabouts are unknown.
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The tiger and bear masks remain in their shrines and are heavily guarded. Anybody seen within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of shrine sites are to be killed on sight.
apex demon lore
The kitsune was the troublemaker of the Apex demons, though its antics stretched beyond innocent fun. It was when the kitsune attempted to devour the crow that in-fighting began among the Apexes.
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The crow and the wolf were good friends, the wolf often tasking itself with helping and protecting the crow whenever it needed it (and often time when it didn't). When the kitsune attempted to eat the crow, the wolf, as expected, didn't take it well. The two fought, the wolf with the intent to protect and the kitsune with the intent to kill, though when it was thwarted by the wolf, the kitsune retreated to nurse its injuries and wounded ego. After this, the two were said to have fought many times after.
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The dragon ruled over many petty demons and humans where modern day Frosdrake Kingdom now resides. While it considered itself a king, the kitsune, seeing the dragon as pathetic, challenged the dragon to fight to the death, lest it prove itself to be a coward. If the kitsune won, it would usurp the throne. The two demons were evenly matched, though their fight was never resolved when it was interrupted by the tiger, the only demon the kitsune would actually listen to.
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The wolf was said to guide lost humans along the trails of the Mainland. The flame on its neck would light the path and guide them to a lost traveler's destination. However, if the wolf was hungry, it would guide the traveler out of sight in order to devour it. Travelers who are known criminals were also devoured, though this time on the spot.
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The rabbit spent a lot of time with the bear. Being the most peaceful of the Apex demons, they tended to avoid the rest of the drama going on among the others. Sometimes the crow would find them to pester, but other than that most other demons almost never saw them.
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The weasel kept to itself, being surrounded by Apex demons multiple times its size and all. It sometimes sparred with the crow, though it would become frustrated with the fact that the crow never took their sparring matches seriously. The weasel fought many petty demons in a search for a good match.
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The tiger was the closest to the kitsune, though it often became irritated with the kitsune's selfishness. Despite having differences, they were found in each other's company more often than not.
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